The mission of Duro is situated on the Serra of the same name, upon a low flat hill, round the western base of which, flows a small stream, called the Riacho de Sucuriú, which at all seasons, supplies the inhabitants with abundance of excellent water. The Aldea itself contains about twenty houses, all of which are of the most miserable description; the greater part of them are entirely made of a frame-work of poles covered over with palm-leaves, and many of them are so much decayed from the united effects of time and weather, that they no longer form a barrier against wind or rain; others, which are built of wicker-work and clay, are scarcely in a better condition. They are so arranged as to form an irregular square, but two of the sides still remain nearly open; on the west side, there is a small church almost in ruins, with a beautiful large Genipapo tree in front. The mission contains in all twelve square leagues of country, being the grant made to it at its original formation by the Jesuits, and over this space, there are scattered twenty or thirty other houses. The entire population, at the time of my visit, amounted to about 250 souls; although the greater part of them are of pure Indian breed, some of them have mixed with the blacks, who from time to time, have taken up their residence among them, many of these have been runaway slaves. It is very easy, however, to recognise the pure Indian, by his reddish colour, long straight hair, high cheek bones, and the peculiar obliquity of his eyes. Notwithstanding that the present race has been brought up in a comparative state of civilization, they still retain many of the characteristics of the savage state. A few of the more respectable of them dress in the same manner as the Brazilians of the Sertão, viz., in a short pair of cotton drawers, with a shirt of the same stuff hanging loose over them; others make use of the drawers only, which are generally far from being clean, and are made of a very coarse kind of stuff wrought by the women. The dress of the latter is also very simple; a few wear a chemise, and petticoat made of printed calico, but by far the greater number have only a petticoat of the same coarse material that the men wear, tied round their middle, all above which is bare. The girls run about quite naked till they are nine or ten years of age, and the boys till they are from twelve to fourteen. Some of the young girls have very pleasing countenances, which, however, they do not long retain, judging from the looks of the older women.